Self-locking brake shoe and head.



J. J. MoOONNELL. SELF LOCKING BRAKE SHOE AND HEAD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 22, 1910.

- Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

JAMES J. McCONNELL, or WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

SELF-LOCKING BRAKE SHOE AND HEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 19.1.0.

Application filed March 22, 1910. Serial No. 550,872.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, JAMES J. MoCoNNELL, a citizen of the United States,-residing at Wilmington, in the county of Newcastle and State of Delaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Locking Brake Shoes and Heads; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to brake-shoes and heads designed for passenger and freight railway cars. f

The principal object is to dispense withall separate fastenings, such as the tapered pins often used for securing the shoes to the head, and which are liable to work loose allowing the shoe, and in some cases the beam, to fall ,upon the track frequently causing trouble, even a wreck.

Another object 1s to prevent the shoe from dropping off, if by any chance it should be broken across the middle. I

A further object is to provide a shoe which is reversible end for end,and may be-fastened in either position with equal ease and security.

Still another object is to provide automatic fasteners whereby the shoe maybe securedto the head very quickly and without difficulty but which retains the shoe on the head per- Inanently until said fasteners are released by hand.

Further objects will become apparent from.

the following description.

The inyentlon consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts here inafter described and specified in the claims. In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side view of a head and shoe constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view. Fig. 3 is a section on the line wa2 of Fig.1,an.d Fig. 4 is a rear view of the shoe alone;

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 designates the brake head having the attachin lug 2. The ends of said head are provide with ockets or chambers 3 entermg from one side, that is, opening on one side of the head but closed onthe other side thereof. Each ofthese pockets has an outward extension .4. Spring catches 5 extend through from the upper face of the head into each of said pockets. -The portion or end of each catch which protrudes into the pocket is beveled, as ath, facing the open side of said pocket but straight on the opposite side, as illustrated at 7. Said catch is preferably made of a single piece of spring metal bent into the form shown in Fig. 3. The extremity of the spring is riveted to the head, as at 8. An upwardly turned lip or thumb piece is provided at the free end of the upper portion of the spring for engagement by the thumb for raising the catch to release the shoe. Said shoe 9 has tongues or tenons 10 shaped to lit the pockets in the head. The inner faces of said tenons which are presented to the spring. catches have transverse grooves 11 therein with a cross rib 12 midway of each for engagement by said spring catches. The position of these cross ribs and their width is such that they may be engagedby the catches on either side so, that the shoe may be reversed or-turned shoe is inserted into the head, the closure or,

flange 13 at one side of each pocket arrests said shoe at a pointwhere the catches have just, snapped over the ribs 12. These flanges 13, therefore, prevent the lateral displacement of the shoe in one direction while the catches lock it against movement toward the other side. At the same time, the shoe can be very easily and quickly removed by merely lifting the catches to release them from the ribs 12.

' I preferably provide a pair of spaced apart lugs-14 near the center of the inner face of the head, :and a sin 1e lug 15 at the center of the inner face :0 the shoe. The latter lug fits between the other two and holds the loop hanger 16 in place. These lugs give a bearing to the shoe at the center when strain is placed upon it.

It will be noted that by reason of the tenons on the ends of the shoe being securely fastened in the pockets of the head if the shoe should be broken entirely across'intermediate of its ends (which, however, will not occur with asteel back shoe) both ortions will be retained on the head. 1 en my invention is employed, the shoe can'be used until it wears down to the head, whereas the .old style shoe could'not wear off more my invention. For instance, while I have shown the head made in skeleton form, said head may be made solid or in any other manner which is suitable for the purpose.

l claim:

1. The combination, with a brake head having two transverse pockets, one near each of its ends. each pocket being provided with an internal extension. of a shoe having ten ons adapted to fit said pockets and the extensions thereof, whereby each end of said shoe is secured to the head independently of the'other, and means to lock said tenons in said pockets.

The combination, with a brake head h'z-iving two transverse of it's ends, each pocket being closed at one side and open at the other and having an internal extension, of a shoe provided with tenons adapted to fit said pockets and the extensions whereby each end of said shoe secured to the head independently of the other, and means to lock said tenons in said pockets against being withdrawn from their open sij 3. The combination, with a brake-head having transverse pockets near its ends,isaid pockets being provided with internal extensions, of a shoe havin tenons adapted to fit said pockets and the extensions thereof, and means to automatically lock said tenons in said. pockets.

4:. The combination, with a brake-head having transverse pockets near its ends, said pockets being provided with internal eXtcn sions, of a shoe having tenons adapted to fit said pockets and the extensions thereof, and means to automatically lock said tenons in said pockets comprising spring catches mounted on said head and projecting into said pockets, and grooves in said shoe to receive said catches.

The combination, with a brake-head having transverse pockets near its ends, said pockets being provided with internal extensions, of a shoe having tenons adapted to fit said pockets and the extensions thereof, tenpockets, one near each ons having grooves therein, ribs arranged across said grooves, and spring catches mounted on the head and adapted to automatically engage said ribs for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, with a brake-head having. transverse ockets near its ends closed at one side and open at the other, said pockets having internalextensions, of a shoe provided with tenons adapted to fit said pockets and extensions thereof, and means to automatically lock said tenons in said pockets against being Withdrawn from their open sides.

7. The combination, with a brake-head having transverse pockets near its, ends, closed at one side and open at the other, said pockets having internal extensions, of a shoe provided with tenons adapted to fit said pockets and extensions thereof, and means to automatically lock said. tenons in said pockets against being withdrawn from their open sides comprising spring catches mounted on said head and engaging depressions in said shoe.

8. The combination, with a brake-head having pockets therein, of a shoe provided with tenons adapted to fit said pockets, and automatic catches for retaining said tenons in said pockets, each catch being made of a single piece of spring metal bent to form a resilient shank and a locking lug, each catch. also having a thumb-piece at its free end for the purpose Specified.

9. The combination, With a brake-head having pockets near its end and two spaced apart lugs near its center, of a shoe provided with tenons adapted to engage said pockets, and a lug adapted to fit between the two central lugs on the head, and means to retain said tenons in said pockets.

In testimony whereof, I atiix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES J. MGGONNELL. Witnesses:

JOSEPH A. DUGAN, JOHN A. KANE. 

